Unanswered Questions on the English Ancestries and Birthplaces of the “Mary and John” Families of 1630.

EDWARD ROSSITER

According to NER Jan. 1984, p. 4-16, he was the son of Nicholas ROSSITER (d. 1 Apr. 1608) & Eliza _____ (bu. 28 Apr. 1608), of Comb St. Nicholas, Somerset, but no wills have been found. His grandfather was Philip ROSSITER & (1) _____, of Combe St. Nicholas and his great-grandfather was Richard ROSSITER (1463-1529) & Elizabeth PERYE, dau. of William PERYE & _____, dau. of John FRYE. No wills found.

Parish records of Combe St. Nicholas before 1678 are lost & Edward Rossiter left no will.

There is a Dr. CAMPBELL, a genealogist in Combe St. Nicholas who is claimed to have a great deal of information on the ROSSITERs, FRYEs & TORREY family, all of that village. Ref: NER Jan. 1937, p. 145-151. (See Vol. 3, p. 43)

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THREE GENERATIONS OF DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM BLAKE OF DORCHESTER, MASS.

William BLAKE – Bpt. 10 July 1594, Pitminster, Somerset. He died, 25 Oct. 1663, Dorchester, Mass. He married, Agnes BAND, 27 Sept. 1617, Pitminster, prob. widow of Richard BAND & dau. of Hugh THORN. He was granted land in Dorchester on 14 May 1636 and he became a freeman and a member of the church on 14 Mar. 1639. It is not known when he came to New England. (Vol. 12, p. 79)

Children of William BLAKE & Agnes (THORN) BAND (Vol. 12, p. 79)

1. John BLAKE – Bpt. 30 Aug. 1618, Pitminster. He died, 25 Jan. 1688/9, Boston. He married, Mary (SOUTHER) SHAW, 16 Aug. 1654. He was one of the executors of the will of Governor John WINTHROP in 1676. No issue.

The village and parish of Combe St. Nicholas, Somerset provided a number of families who came to New England between 1630 and 1640. Edward ROSSITER came first, with his family on the “Mary & John” in 1630. He was one of the Assistants of the Massachusetts Bay Company and one of the most prominent passengers on that ship. He was followed in 1640 by the TORREYs and FRYs. A great deal of credit for this article, and particularly the photos and map, is due Miss Patricia PEARCE, of Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset, who visited Combe St. Nicholas and searched the records in the Somerset Record Office, Taunton.

THE ROSSITERS

Edward ROSSITER may have come with his wife _____ COMBE, daughter of John COMBE and brother of Joesph [sic] COMBE, but she may have died in England because there is no record of her in New England.

Evidently, Rev. John WHITE of Dorchester, Dorset, loaned Edward ROSSITER considerable money to prepare for his journey to New England. The total debt was 106 pounds, 9 shillings & 9 pence and it was partly paid by Edward’s son, Nicholas, before their departure. But when Edward died on 23 Oct. 1630, there was still 15 pounds, 25 shillings due Rev. WHITE. Among the charges was 47 pounds, 13 shillings & 4 pence, for the passage of 13 passengers (3 pounds, 13 shillings & 4 pence each).

Following is an attempt to identify these people. The five unknown passengers may have included, Edward’s wife (if she was still living), grandchildren and servants.

1. Edward ROSSITER

2. Son, Nicholas ROSSITER, who later returned.

3. Wife of Nicholas ROSSITER, who later returned.

4. Edward ROSSITER, son of Nicholas, who later returned.

5. Son, Bray ROSSITER.

6. Wife of Bray ROSSITER.

7. Daughter, Jane ROSSITER.

8. Son, Hugh ROSSITER, who later returned.

Plus five unidentified passengers.

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THE FRYS

George FRY, came with his brother-in-law, William TORREY. He was possibly the son of the George FRY who witnessed the will of Joseph COMBE of Combe St. Nicholas, 21 Mar. 1619/20. The FRYs were also related to the ROSSITER & COMBE families.

THE COMBES

Although no member of the COMBE family of Combe St. Nicholas has been found that came to New England, they married into the above families.

THE WADFORD FARM & MILL OF PHILIP ROSSITER

Edward ROSSITER’s great-grandfather, Richard ROSSITER, was the first proved land owner in Combe St. Nicholas. When he died in 1529 he owned 4 messuages & 543 acres here. At that time his son Philip (Edward’s grandfather) inherited 4 messuages, 31 acres of meadow, 312 acres of pasture & 200 acres of woodland. In the 1583 Survey of the parish (SAS/SE86), “Philipus ROSSITER, gent. (farmer or husbandman) owned a dwelling and a new tucking mill. He paid 17 pounds a year to the Lord of the Manor (Wells Deanery). The other freemen of Combe were William BONNER, gent.- 15 pounds, William JEANES- 12 pounds, John BUETT- 2 pounds, John WALROD- 4 pounds, John DEWNELL- 20 pounds and _____ MALLETT- 12 pounds.

[photo]

Wadeford House (16th) of Philip ROSSITER

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Philip ROSSITER’s house was called Wadeford and the fulling mill (woolen mill), which has been carefully restored, still stand today in a hamlet about 3/4 miles SE of Combe St. Nicholas. This is one of seven mills within a few miles of each other on the River Isle, the others all being grist mills for corn.

[photo]

Fulling Mill At Wadeford, Once Owned By Philip ROSSITER

Court Roll – 27 July 1608 – To the court came Thomasin CLARKE, William ROSSITER (brother or cousin of Edward?) and John CLARKE and surrendered a tenement called a “ten acre tenement” in the tithing of XII sect. granted again to John and Jane MARDEN. (The three named above were witnesses. Ref: ADD/277.)

1641, Nicholas ROSSITER, gent., of Combe (son of Edward, after Nicholas returned to England), holds for 3 lives, his property on lease – Anne, Jane & MaryROSSITER, all daughters of Nicholas. Ref: ADD/302.

THE LOWER CLAYHANGER FARM OF THE FRY FAMILY

The FRY family held a lease in 1574 (and possibly earlier) on the Lower Clayhanger Farm, less than a mile NE of Wadeford, where Philip ROSSITER lived.

NOTE: Savage says there was a Matthew GILLET who came on the Mary & John in 1634, first settled in Dorchester and then in Windsor in 1636. Banks says he came on the Mary & John in 1634 but settled in Salem. Stiles’ History of Windsor does not list him.

Today the house is a private residence, with Hamstone mullioned windows, a kitchen with a bread oven and a mullioned window in the rear wall. The roof was renewed in the early 19th century. The walls are two feet thick. The original date of the house cannot be placed because of work in 1940 destroyed much of the dating evidence.

Court Roll, 9 Oct. 1593 – To this court came John FRY and Agnes, his wife, and Isabella, wife of Richard SCREVEN. John FRY holds by right of his wife, Agnes, one tenement called a “ten acre tenement”, with the apprutenances in the tithing of Betham, to remain now of the said Isabella, by the names of Agnes COMBE and Isabella COMBE (daughters of John COMBE, deceased), John FRY and Agnes and Richard and Isabella SCREVEN, surrendered each and all into the hands of the Lord and all estates and interest in the said premises, with the intent that John FRY might be able to receive them again. Whereupon at this same court, the said John FRY, came and took from the Lord at the Steward’s hands, the said apputtenances, to have and to hold, for the lives of John FRY, Joseph COMBE and William COMBE, sons of the late John COMBE. Ref: ADD/257.

27 Sept. 1597– George FRY came to Court of Combe and leased land called “Wagges”, for the lives of George and his brother, John FRY of Ewell and John FRY, son of Lawrence of Stolfird. Ref: ADD/265.

15 Oct. 1608– To this Court came Dorothea (RICHARDS) FRY, wife of John FRY, the younger, gent., of Chehanger (Clayhanger), and took the reversion of one cottage, with curtilage, one acre of same, under Old Auster (A Celtic site for the farm, developed by the Saxons and always treated with great respect because of its great age as a site.), all held by John FRY, the younger, for the term of his life. To have and to hold for the lives of Dorothea, William FRY, son of William of Plymouth, Devon, yeoman, John RICHARDS, son of John of Churchstation, Devon. Ref: ADD/281.

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HAM FARM, HOME OF THE COMBE FAMILY

In 1599 Thomas COMBE at Ham Farm held 20 acres. This about one and one half miles N of Combe St. Nicholas. This was by “old Austet”, and ancient Celtic site. This farm is now occupied by Mr. HUTCHINGS.

For each of the 37,000 couples herein covered, the husband’s full name (roughly alphabetical, with variant spellings grouped under the most common) is followed sometimes by a superscript to indicate generation (usually first or second), then by birth and death years, if known, in parenthese. “(1654-)” indicates a birth in 1654 and an unknown death year; “(-1700)” indicates an unknown birth year and a death in 1700. “Ca” for “circa” means “about” and “ae 35 in 1674” indicates aged 35 in 1674, a fact recorded probably in a court deposition. After an ampersand, “&”, the wife’s full name is given, with any known birth or death years likewise in parenthesis. “1/wf” or “2/wf” indicates first or second wife, any surname in parenthesis is a maiden name (in general, if there are two surnames, one or both in parenthesis, the first is a maiden surname, the second that of a first husband; if there are three surnames, however the parentheses are placed, the last two are those of previous husbands in chronological order), a blank line (within or outside parenthesis) indicates that the wife’s maiden name is unknown, a surname in brackets is one not derived from a marriage record, “w Daniel” indicates “widow of Daniel,” whose last name is given earlier, and “m/2” or “m/3”, followed by a man’s full name and often a year, indicates a second or third marriage. After the data on husband and wife is a semi-colon, then a date. If the date is exact — 25 Nov. 1674 — it is a marriage (or marriage intention) date; if it is a year only, preceded “b”, it is the birth date of a first child, not the birthdate of either partner, and the marriage can be assumed to have taken place a year or more earlier. Often these “first child” birthdates are approximate. Following this date is a list of residences, from marriage through usually the death of the husband, in chronological order. Question marks alongside any data indicate doubt, of course; “+” after a date means “following”, “-” means “Before”, and stray kinships that might provide clues to origins are sometimes noted as well. Since marriages of men with the same name are also roughly chronological, and each marriage is listed separately, data on a man’s second marriage (including residence only after it) often does not immediately follow the listing for his first.

Benjamin Leonard moved about 1740 to Mendham, Morris County, New Jersey, and died by 1749; for the will of Joseph Thompson of Mendham, dated 4 July 1749, mentions 15 acres he had purchased of Benjamin Leonard, dec’d (New Jersey Archives, Wills 2:478). The widow Leonard whose death on 5 Nov. 1778 aged 75 was entered in the Morristown First Church records, was almost certainly Benjamin’s second wife, Mary (Cudworth) Leonard. Of the children by the first wife, some record has been found of three. Jemima married (1) in 1737 Henry Axtell, a blacksmith of Mendham, born at Berkley, Mass., 24 June 1715, died 1754-5; (2) Matthew Lum of Morristown, born about 1707, died 21 May 1777 aged 70; seven children by Axtell, two by Lum. Benjamin Leonard [Jr.] married 8 March 1750 Martha Hains, who died 15 May 1793 (g.s., Mendham). Caleb married 27 Jan. 1748, Jemima Minthorne.

The following four Leonards who also married at the Morristown church may well have been children of Benjamin [Sr.] by Mary Cudworth. Ephraim married 2 Jan. 1753 Hannah Hinds, both of Mendham. Sarah married 22 Jan. 1755 John Pitney [the name Pitney occurs at Mendham]. Dorothea married 29 Feb. 1756 Israel Aber; they lived in Mendham and had 12 children; Israel died in 1801, his wife “Dorothy” surviving. Hannah married 8 Jan. 1761 Jesse Muire.

I would welcome ancestry of Mary Cudworth, especially her parentage and brothers and sisters; also full record of the children of Benjamin Leonard by both wives. Benjamin’s grandmother’s grandfather was James Chilton of the Mayflower.

James Chilton was the oldest passenger on the Mayflower, with the possible exception of Elder William Brewster. James was born before 1563 in Canterbury, Kent County, England, where the surname appears in the annals as far back as 1339 when Robert Chilton was a representative to Parliament from Canterbury. James’ grandfather Richard Chilton of St. Paul’s Parish, Canterbury, in a will dated and proved in 1549, mentioned his deceased wife Isabell, and bequeathed the bulk of his estate to his son Lyonell.

The will of Lyonell “Chylton,” a yeoman of considerable property residing in St. Paul’s Parish, dated 7 Sept. 1582 and proved 13 Feb. 1582/3, named sons John and James Chilton; daughters Alice, Anne and Margaret; wife Isabell and her children–Thomas Furner and Susanna Furner. To son James he left two tenements in Canterbury. Isabell was evidently a recent second wife of Lyonell, and not James’ mother (whose name is unknown).

James Chilton, tailor, was listed as a freeman of Canterbury in 1583. He married before 1587 just possibly Susanna Furner, daughter of his step-mother and her first husband Francis Furner. Seven children were baptized in Canterbury to James, then about 1600 the family moved to neighboring Sandwich where three more children were baptized, including youngest daughter Mary, who was baptized at St. Peter’s in 1607. Here he undoubtedly met Moses Fletcher, who was destined to be a fellow Mayflower passenger, as well as other Pilgrims who later went to Holland, and so was drawn into the Pilgrim movement.

From 1607 to 1620 we lose sight of James, but since his daughter “Ysabel Tgiltron spinster from Canterbury” was married in Leyden, Holland in 1615, and probably a second daughter Ingle, listed as “Engeltgen Gilten,” was married there in 1622, it is likely that James took his family to Holland, where Leyden betrothal records include several Pilgrims from Sandwich and Canterbury. On the other hand, James Chilton’s name has not been found in Leyden as owner of property, as a citizen, as friend of a betrothed couple, or even as witness at the betrothal of his own daughter. Possibly this apparent lack of record might be ascribed to the difficulty the Dutch had with writing the name Chilton.

Descent from James Chilton has been proved through only his eldest daughter Isabella and his youngest daughter Mary. “Engeltgen Gilten” mentioned above, who married

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Robert Nelson, could not be followed further. None of the other children appears to have lived to maturity.

Governor Bradford wrote that among those on the Mayflower were James Chilton and his wife, and Mary their daughter; they had another daughter that was married, came afterward. In 1650 he wrote “James Chilton and his wife also died in the first infection, but their daughter Mary is still living and hath nine children; and one daughter is married and hath a child. So their increase is ten.” James died on 18 December 1620, scarcely a month after signing the Mayflower Compact–the only signer who died at Cape Cod. His wife shortly followed him, dying during the First Sickness at Plymouth sometime after 21 January 1620/1.

At thirteen Mary Chilton was thus left an orphan at Plymouth. No record reveals with whom she spent the next few years, but perhaps for at least a part of the time she was a member of either the Alden or the Standish household; in the 1623 land division “Marie” Chilton received her share (undoubtedly three acres–
one for herself and one for each parent) between the shares of John Alden and Myles Standish. By the time of the cattle division of May 1627, Mary had married John Winslow, and the couple were included with John
Shaw’s group.

2 ISABELLA2 CHILTON (James1) bp. St. Paul’s Parish, Canterbury, Kent Co., England, 15 Jan. 1586/7; no death record found. In fact, Bradford’s statement that James Chilton “had an other doughter, that was married, came afterward,” provides the only evidence that Isabella came to Plymouth.

The Leyden poll tax of 15 Oct. 1622 includes “Rogier Chandelaer, Isabel Chandelaer” his wife, and children Samuel and Sara. Roger and his family probably came to Plymouth in 1629 or 1630, when according to Bradford the

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Leyden contingent arrived. He was taxed in Plymouth 25 March 1633, and listed as a freeman the same year–the earliest record of him in this country. He was enumerated among those able to bear arms in Duxbury in 1643, and sold land there in 1644; he was listed among freemen of Duxbury in a tally presumed taken in 1658.

In October 1665 the Plymouth Court granted 150 acres of land to the three (unnamed) daughters of Roger Chandler deceased. Articles in TAG indicate their names and husbands.

She m. Plymouth bet. July 1623 and 22 May 1627 JOHN WINSLOW, b. Droitwich, Worcestershire, England, 16 April 1597; d. Boston bef. 21 May 1674; son of Edward and Magdalen (Ollyver) Winslow, and brother of Pilgrim Edward Winslow. Both John and Mary are buried in King’s Chapel Burying Ground, Boston.

John Winslow arrived at Plymouth in 1621 on the Fortune. He was listed as a freeman in 1633, and became active in the government of the colony, setting off and appraising land and serving on jury; in 1653 he became a member of “a counsell of warr.” With wife Mary, he moved to Boston in 1657. His will, attested 21 May 1674, […]

*Neither Samuel Chandler of Duxbury nor the one of Dorchester seems to be a son of Roger. Samuel of Duxbury was the son of Edmund Chandler, and Samuel of Dorchester was taxed in Plymouth in 1633, so appears to be too old to be Roger’s son. Further, in the 1665 grant to Roger’s three daughters, no mention was made of a son.

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A tradition, apparently true, persists that Mary Chilton was the first female to reach shore from the Mayflower; less certain is whether this was accomplished at Cape Cod or at Plymouth. However it is certain that she left the only will of a female passenger, a paper today preserved at the Suffolk County Registry of Probate in Boston. […]

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Mary’s will was proved 11 July 1679. It would appear that she died before 1 May 1679, however, upon which date Mr. William Tailer renounced the executorship of her estate. Administration of her estate was granted 24 July 1679 to her son John Winslow and son-in-law Richard Middlecott.

Solomon Leonard was first recorded in Duxbury 1637, and in May 1638 was “promised lands on Duxburrow side, (in part of those due to him for his service).” This was probably the usual recompense to a servant; since normal service was seven years, we surmise that Solomon prob. arrived in Plymouth ca. 1631. In Feb. 1638/9 he received a grant of 25 acres. In 1645 he received a share of land in what later became Bridgewater, to which he removed soon after 1649. He was living there in 1658/9.

On 1 May 1671 Samuel Leonard of Bridgewater confirmed that his deceased father, Solomon Leonard, had given land to “my brother John Leonard.” Strangely, Samuel did not post bond as administrator of his father, Solomon deceased, until 27 Oct. 1675, at which time the failure to mention the widow of Solomon implies that Sarah had already died. In the disposition of this estate, “Samuel Leonardson” is called eldest son, John second son, with equal division among the “rest of the children.” In a deed 10 May 1677 to his brother “Isaak Leonardson,” Samuel Leonardson mentions brothers John, Jacob and Solomon.

Children (LEONARD) all b. Duxbury, last two prob. in that part later called Bridgewater:

Edmund Brough was first recorded in a Plymouth arbitration in Nov. 1640; he was in Marshfield in 1643, and moved to Boston about 1654. Nothing further was found in Suffolk County probate or land records.

John Bundy was in Boston in 1635; in Plymouth by 1636, indentured to William Brewster, where he was listed as able to bear arms in 1643; and served in the Narragansett expedition of 1645. He returned to Boston by 1649, and by 1662 was in Taunton.

The will of John Bundy “aged 64 or therabout of Tanton”, dated April 1681 and proved 29 Oct. 1681,
mentions his wife (unnamed), “the children”, son “Jeames Bundy”, “my sons”, and “the sons by this wife”.

Children (BUNDY) born to John and Martha, first two born in Boston, last three in Taunton:

He m. (1) bef. 7 March 1675/6 ABIGAIL WOOD, b. Plymouth ca. 1645; d. prob. Worcester; dau. of John and Sarah (Masterson) Wood (or Attwood). A division of the estate of John Wood “formerly of Plymouth” 7 March 1675/6 includes his child Abigail Leonard.

He m. (2) DEBORAH —–, prob. d. Preston between 21 March 1718/9 and 30 Nov. 1720. He lived in Bridgewater from before 1683 until after 10 Jan. 1687/8 when he and wife Abigail sold lands in Bridgewater in a deed acknowledged at Boston 31 Jan. 1687/8. He went to Worcester where he was living in 1692. Driven out by Indians in 1697, he moved with his family to Preston CT, where in Nov. 1698 he was among the twelve founders of the First Church.

Samuel Leonard of Preston sold 140 acres of land in Worcester 21 March 1718/9, his wife Deborah releasing her dower right. Also in 1718 Samuel “Lenard” of Preston sold to Thomas Clark of Norwich [husband of his daughter Elizabeth] his rights to “all ye commons and unlaid out lands in Preston.” Together with his daughter Mercy and her husband, and Lydia, widow of his son Samuel, he was among founders of the Second Church in Preston 30 Nov. 1720.

Children (LEONARD or LEONARDSON) b. Bridgewater to Samuel and Abigail:*

50 i MERCY5

51 ii ELIZABETH

52 iii SAMUEL b. ca. 1683

*No confirmation was found for daughters Mary and Abigail suggested in LEONARD FAM. The Mayflower Society has accepted lineages based on a daughter Mary, for whom no substantiating proof was found.

Widow Sarah Leonard and son Joseph Leonard were appointed administrators 23 Jan. 1699/1700 on the estate of John Leonard late of Bridgewater deceased. In a division of this estate the widow was to receive her thirds; John Leonard the eldest son’s share; other shares to sons Enoch, Moses, Josiah and Joseph, and to daughter Sarah Leonard when she was 18. On 30 Aug. 1701 signing receipts were: widow Leonard, John Leonard, Joseph Leonard and Josiah Leonard. No Plymouth County probate or land records were found to reveal anything further regarding either the mother or the daughter Sarah.

Jacob served in King Philip’s War 1676; he was in Weymouth by 1679, apparently in Worcester by 1684, but returned to Bridgewater from which he was warned in 1693. Evidently he spent most of his later life in Bridgewater, although he was in Taunton when he purchased a Bridgewater house in 1697, and in Hingham in Dec. 1713. Jacob “Lennard” of Bridgewater sold to Moses “Lennard” (#55) of Marlboro a purchase right in “Woster” (Worcester) 9 May 1717.

A son Joseph by an earlier wife is indicated in LEONARD FAM and BRIDGEWATER BY MITCHELL, as well as in “Bridgewater Corrections.” VR BRIDGEWATER cites gravestones and a “framed record in the possession of the New England Historical Genealogical Society” indicating a son Joseph. It is curious that although the phrase “my present wife” in his will suggests an earlier wife, Jacob did not mention a son Joseph, or Joseph’s heirs, either in his will or in any deeds.

Isaac took part in the Narragansett Expedition in 1675, for which son Isaac Leonard of Bridgewater claimed a grant in 1733. He was a weaver. Isaac of Bridgewater and wife Deliverance sold land with dwelling and barn in Bridgewater 29 Feb. 1705/6. He owned land in Mendon and Worcester. He was of Bridgewater 27 March 1717 when he transferred Worcester land, wife Deliverance consenting 7 March 1719/20; son Benjamin on 9 March 1719/20 attested he saw Isaac sign. On 5 April 1717, acknowledged 10 Dec. 1717, Isaac Leonard of Bridgewater gave to son Joseph Leonard his homestead in Bridgewater, on condition Isaac have lifetime use. No Plymouth County probate or land records were found to connect probable child Deliverance.

She m. Taunton 24 Dec. 1673 JOHN POLLARD, b. Boston 4th day 4th month 1644; living Taunton 7 May 1722; son of William and Anne (—–) Pollard. He m.(1) Deliverance Willis, by whom he had Deliverance, Hannah and William.

John was head of a family in Taunton in 1675, then moved to Boston; he returned to Taunton before Feb. 1692/3 when he bought land of Nicholas Stoughton. John Pollard Sr. was a press master for troops in July 1695; John Pollard Jr. was impressed for service in May 1697. On 7 May 1722 John Pollard of Taunton, cooper, released rights to one-eighth of a house called the “Horse Show” [Horse Shoe] in Boston to Jonathan Pollard of Boston, innholder; wife Mary signed the deed. Mary Pollard of Taunton testified 3 March 1724/5 aged about 75 years.

Children (POLLARD) b. to John and Mary:

i JOHN5 b. Taunton 20 March 1675; disappears after 1710, unless he is the John Polden of Plymouth.

*No evidence was found to support the claim in LEONARD FAM for two other “supposed” daughters, Sarah and Lydia. The Sarah Leonard who m. 1710 Samuel Perry of “Sandwitch,” and Lydia Leonard who m. 1712 Joseph Pratt Jr. have not been placed.

**This Mary was not the wife of Solomon Kneeland, since one of the sons of Solomon and Mary Kneeland had Samuel Pollard for a grandfather.

Isaac Leonard Jr. of Bridgewater bought land in Taunton “North Purchase” in 1702. When he moved there is uncertain, but he was living in North Purchase in 1713 and in 1720 when he bought land there. He was of Norton “east precinct” in 1722/3 when he purchased land in Easton. Isaac Leonard of Easton and wife Mary sold their home lot with dwelling in Easton March 1725/6.

Isaac Leonard of “Pomphret” CT sold two tracts in Easton 9 Sept. 1727, and Isaac “late of Easton now of Pomfret CT” sold his share in an iron mine in Easton 4 Jan. 1729, in a deed acknowledged 19 March 1730/1. Listed as inhabitants of Pomfret in 1731 were: Isaac Leonard Sr. and Jr., David Leonard and Thomas Leonard. Isaac was in Pomfret in 1732/3 when he traded land with a Joseph Leonard. (In one instance the land, sold by Joseph to Isaac6, was bounded by land of Joseph’s brother Isaac5.) After 1734 Joseph Leonard and wife, and Isaac Leonard, were admitted to the Second Church in Pomfret. In a deed signed 2 Feb. 1736/7

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Isaac Leonard “late of Pomfret” was “now resident in Worcester shire in York government”* when he sold his holdings in Pomfret. No further records were found in CT for Isaac or sons David and Thomas.

She m. (1) Marlboro 11 March 1697 DAVID NEWTON, b. Marlboro 12 March 1671/2; d. there 4 April 1702; son of Moses and Joanna (Larkin) Newton. David Newton’s will, dated Marlboro 3 April 1702 sworn 26 May 1702, names wife Hannah, three “small daughters” Hannah, Lydia and Thankfull, and father Moses Newton Sr. as overseer. The will of Moses Newton of Marlborough, dated 3 April 1724, mentions “children of my sons David and Edward Newton deceased.”

She m. (2) bet. 1702 and 1708 NATHANIEL MANLEY, b. Weymouth 27 May 1684; d. Easton 21 April 1753; son of William and Rebecca (—–) Manley of Easton.

In 1716 Nathaniel Manley living in the easterly end of Taunton North Purchase gave rights in iron ore to his brother-in-law Isaac Leonard of Taunton. The same year he sold land and dwelling, his share from his father William Manley and his brothers Thomas and William Manley. Nathaniel was of Easton when he next sold land in 1726, and in 1727/8, which he and wife Hannah both acknowledged 5 May 1738. On 20 April 1753 Nathaniel Manley of Easton sold to Ichabod Manley of Easton several lots in Easton; on the second Tuesday of June 1754 one of the witnesses attested that Nathaniel Manley, since deceased, signed the deed.

He m. Bridgewater 19 Nov. 1712 HANNAH JENNINGS, dau. of Richard Jennings. Richard’s will, signed in Bridgewater 27 April 1739 proved 1751, names daughter Hannah wife of Joseph Leonard. In 1725 Mary Bailey sold rights to Joseph Leonard of Bridgewater “son of Isaac Leonard decd.” Joseph Leonard Jr. of Bridgewater sold 20 March 1728 “my homestead where I dwell” in Bridgewater, and wife Hannah released right of dower. On 8 April 1728 Joseph Leonard of Bridgewater, cooper, bought land in Pomfret, bounded on the south by land of Isaac Leonard. Joseph Leonard of Pomfret husbandman on 9 Jan. 1732/3 sold to Isaac Leonard of Pomfret “the farm whereon I now live” bounded by land of “my brother Isaac Leonard,” witnessed by an Isaac Leonard. On 5 April 1736 Joseph Leonard of Pomfret sold land in Pomfret, acknowledged the next day; he and his family then disappear from the records of Connecticut.

He m. (1) Bridgewater 15 Aug. 1715 or 1716 HANNAH PHILLIPS, d. ca. 1730; dau. of William and Hannah (Gilbert) Phillips of Taunton. On 15 Nov. 1717 Benjamin and Hannah Leonard of Bridgewater received of “our grandfather Thomas Gilbert of Taunton, administrator of the estate of William Phillips late of Taunton deceased, our father,” their share of his estate.

Benjamin Leonard, cooper, of Bridgewater sold his homestead in Bridgewater in 1720, and the same year he and wife Hannah sold land in Dighton, set off to her from her father’s estate. In 1722 Benjamin bought land in Dighton, and was living in the part which later became Berkley in July 1723 with wife Hannah. Benjamin was of Berkley when he sold land in 1735, and also when he sold his homestead in 1737, wife Mary relinquishing dower. Both he and Mary still of Berkley acknowledged a sale 7 Dec. 1738. His last sale was acknowledged in Berkley 3 Sept. 1739.

About 1740 Benjamin and family moved to Mendham, Morris Co., NJ. No probate or land records have been located for either Benjamin or Mary in NJ.